Starring: Jodie Foster, Gerard Butler, Abigail Breslin, Michael Carman, Mark Brady Directed by: Jennifer Flackett, Mark Levin Binding: DVD Published: 2008-08-05
Nim Rusoe (Abigail Breslin) lives on a deserted island with her scientist father Jack (Gerard Butler) and her best friends: Selkie, a sea lion; Fred, a bearded dragon lizard; and Galileo, a plucky pelican. But when Jack goes missing at sea and the island is "invaded," Nim reaches out via e-mail to the adventurous author (Jodie Foster) of her favorite books, and together, each discovers what it takes to truly become the hero of your own life story.
Adventure doesn't always begin with pirates on the high seas or explorers deep in the desert; sometimes it starts with an idyllic life on a private island in the middle of the South Asiatic Sea. For 11-year old Nim (Abigail Breslin) and her father and microbiologist Jack Russo (Gerard Butler), life is perfect thanks to their love of nature, Jack's mechanical ingenuity, and regular deliveries via supply ship. Loneliness is never an issue for Nim because of her special friendships with Selkie the sea lion, Galileo the pelican, and Freddie the iguana and her education is intensive, if rather unique. Adventure and imagination are ways of life for Nim whether she's heading out to sea to help her father collect plankton specimens, playing soccer on the beach with Selkie, or delving into the latest Alex Rover adventure novel, but everything changes when Jack departs on the boat for a two-night expedition to collect plankton specimens and gets caught in an unexpected storm. Alone on the island, Nim begins to worry about her father's safety as well as her own and, through a chance email, connects with Alex Rover (Jodie Foster) whom she begs to come help find her father. Problem is, author Alexandra Rover is an unbalanced big city shut-in who's afraid to leave her townhouse, not the fearless adventure hero portrayed in her books. Nim, Alexandra, and Jack embark upon the adventures of a lifetime in which each must overcome his or her own fears and perceived powerlessness and limitations in order to grow and help one another. The question is; can each prevail against his or her own insecurities and the fury of nature? Based on the novel Nim's Island by Wendy Orr, Nim's Island is first and foremost a captivating adventure full of suspense and peril which also offers a touching look at the love between a father and daughter. (Ages 7 and older) --Tami Horiuchi
Beyond Nim's Island on DVD
Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium on DVD
Horton Hears a Who! on DVD
Alvin and the Chipmunks on DVD
Stills from Nim's Island (Click for larger image)
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
A Very Nice Surprise:
Nim's Island was surprisingly good. I wasn't expecting much out of it, but it turned out to be one of the better movies of the year. I was impressed. Good family movie, or for whenever you're not in the mood for adult/suspense fare.
Cute family movie, but our teen didn't love it.:
My youngest had her tonsils out this week and I bought a bunch of DVD's to keep her occupied in recovery. My wife and I watched "Nim's Island" with her yesterday and we (my wife and I) really liked it. My almost 14 year old was less impressed. She wanted an adventure to rescue "Jack" and was disappointed that his rescue ended up as merely metaphorical. Go figure. So here's the deal, "Nim's Island" is a cute family film, but it is a bit silly and probably best viewed by tweeners and their parents. I'll... more info
Fun and imaginative:
Loved the movie and was reminded a lot of "Romancing the Stone." If you liked that movie you'll like this one. A great romantic story with a lot of imagination and excitement tossed in.
Nim's Island:
My kids loved this movie at the theater and love to watch the dvd. Great for a family movie night- adventure galore!
